They have a whole season to develop Edmure, so I suppose it's not all bad (Riverrun has been mentioned before). It's a pity there was no way to realistically include mention of Edmure's fuck-up* in the novel Clash of Kings, since it gives him more purpose than what he does in Book 3.

* Which was realistically Robb's fuck-up, since he never bothered to tell Edmure the outline of his strategy.

“It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.” -Jean-Luc Picard

"Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them."-Margaret Atwood

It does feel a little odd, to suddenly introduce these characters now when they've basically never been mentioned. They're going to suddenly ass pull Edmure from nowhere, this brother that's so important that Catelyn has never mentioned him or the Blackfish.

At least Thoros has been mentioned, and they've built up the Brotherhood without Banners off screen, if not actually showing anything they've done.

I do have to agree, Brian Blessed would be great - I actually imagined him as Robert at first, but as Tormund he could be fantastic.

“The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that the English language is as pure as a crib-house whore. It not only borrows words from other languages; it has on occasion chased other languages down dark alley-ways, clubbed them unconscious and rifled their pockets for new vocabulary. “
- James Nicoll

The Tullys being cast this late in the game is interesting. The Blackfish as a sort of estranged uncle who hangs around Cat is one thing - I guess there could be a thousand ways to explain him being around. Edmure, however, requires shining light on House Tully and the Riverlands. Which will look incredibly random. This is the same area Tywin was stomping around in for most of Season 2 - where the HELL was House Tully?

In Season 1 Tywin mentions to Tyrion that Jaime "smashed the Riverlords at the Golden Tooth" whilst the Greatjon notes the import of having the Riverlords join them. So an attentive non-reader could just surmise they were fighting their own war.

It does feel a little odd, to suddenly introduce these characters now when they've basically never been mentioned. They're going to suddenly ass pull Edmure from nowhere, this brother that's so important that Catelyn has never mentioned him or the Blackfish.

I don't really get this complaint - why does Catelyn have to mention him? Will every non-reader just assume that Catelyn is an only daughter and has just a father because that's the only person ever mentioned? Will non-readers similarly be left floundering at the shocking notion that Loras Tyrell has other family apart from his sister?

Casting speculation roundup (new people likely/ definitely cast, no idea who they're playing yet). Mackenzie Crook (the Office UK, Pirates of the Caribbean) as a possible Vargo Hoat (or one of the Brotherhood?) is interesting.

Sweet. Selmy is pretty much exactly as I pictured him. I just hope Strong Belwas lives up to the picture in my head.

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance--that principle is contempt prior to investigation." -Herbert Spencer

The first photo from the set of the new season. I hope this stuffed wolf isn't supposed to be the one Arya turned loose. I took enough grief when Ned killed Sansa's wolf and I'm kinda hoping for a Lassie Come Home moment for Arya and her long lost pet.

"Do not ask me to take your loyalty oaths and do not ask me to submit to your ideological interrogations. If you tell me I’m either with you or against you, then I’ll be against you, every time. It’s a rule that’s never let me down."

Sweet. Selmy is pretty much exactly as I pictured him. I just hope Strong Belwas lives up to the picture in my head.

They might cut Strong Belwas out. I don't recall him doing anything that Barristan couldn't do, but who knows?

I hope this stuffed wolf isn't supposed to be the one Arya turned loose. I took enough grief when Ned killed Sansa's wolf and I'm kinda hoping for a Lassie Come Home moment for Arya and her long lost pet.

Nah, the colour makes it look like Bran's wolf, Summer. Its probably just a placeholder prop for the actors to use as a reference point during certain scenes.

Quote:Mance Rayder: We’ve heard about him all season. A former member of the Night’s Watch who became the “King Beyond the Wall,” the leader of the Wildlings.Daario Naharis: A confident and seductive warrior.Jojen Reed; Meera Reed: A teenage brother and sister duo with special insights.Edmure Tully: A brash young member of the Tully family.Ser Brynden Tully (The Blackfish): Catelyn Stark’s uncle.Lady Selyse Florent: Stannis Baratheon’s wife.Shireen: Stannis’ daughter.Olenna Redwyne (The Queen of Thorns): Margaery Tyrell’s sharp-witted grandmother.Beric Dondarrion: A skilled knight who is the leader of the outlaw group Brotherhood Without Banners.Thoros of Myr: A red priest who follows the same religion as Melisandre.Tormund Giantsbane: A Wildling raider.

(Beric Dondarrion was seen in Season 1, but according to the comments the actor who played him was never "officially" cast, so they could recast him later on. Ok ...)

Sweet. Selmy is pretty much exactly as I pictured him. I just hope Strong Belwas lives up to the picture in my head.

They might cut Strong Belwas out. I don't recall him doing anything that Barristan couldn't do, but who knows?

He's not super important, I guess (though he did kill Meereen's champion and shat in the city's general direction), but he adds a certain flair. And unless they cut the whole deception idea (Barristan as Arstan Whitebeard), they'll need to come up with a reason for Barristan to be there other than being Belwas' squire.

Also, I want to see the scene where Belwas gets stitched up after his fight and Dany calls him a big bald baby for complaining.

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance--that principle is contempt prior to investigation." -Herbert Spencer

Guardsman Bass wrote:It looks like they aged up Missandei. She was an 11-year-old slave who also happened to be a prodigy with languages in the books.

It's probably to give Dany someone close to her own age to act as handmaiden, now that Irri and Doreah are gone, though she'll presumably also be a translator and herald, as in the books. I'm hoping that we'll get some High Valyrian spoken, especially since we've been introduced to it through 'Valar Morghulis'.

While it could be justified that people in Qarth spoke the Common Tongue due to trade links with Westeros, it would be less useful in Slaver's Bay, since the illegality of slavery in Westeros means there would be few if any Westerosi customers, while High Valyrian would be sufficient for communicating with customers from the Free Cities.

there also could be that said character (I've not read the books so I wouldn't know) gets involved in actions that would be hard if not impossible to depict with an actual child character (like scenes that would be illegal to film with an child actor).

I may be an idiot, but I'm a tolerated idiot"I think you completely missed the point of sigs. They're supposed to be completely homegrown in the fertile hydroponics lab of your mind, dried in your closet, rolled, and smoked...Oh wait, that's marijuana..."Einhander Sn0m4n

[spoiler=Storm Of Swords]Given that Storm of Swords is the occasion of the Khaleesi Gone Wild scenes, and that Dany's handmaidens are all dead in the series, IIRC.... it's quite possible Missendei was cast in an aged-up fashion to fill that particular void, since I find it difficult to believe HBO will pass up those scenes. Which sort of sucks, since the whole POINT of Missendei is that she is an 11-year-old girl who is smarter and wiser than most of the adults around her, Dany included.[/spoiler]

The rest of the casting looks decent, however. Edmure's face has the right combination of innocence and bravery that the character needs.

"Peace on Earth and goodwill towards men? We are the United States Goverment - we don't DO that sort of thing!" - Sneakers. Best. Quote. EVER.

Periodic Pwnage Pantry:

"Faith? Isn't that another term for ignorance?" - Gregory House

"Isn't it interesting... religious behaviour is so close to being crazy that we can't tell them apart?" - Gregory House

"This is usually the part where people start screaming." - Gabriel Sylar